Plants of Tropical Rainforests

Tropical rainforests cover less than 2% of the planet but are home to 50% of the plants and animal species on Earth!

The Banana Plant

Bananas are actually giant herbs! The trees on which they grow can get to twenty feet high.

Where: Central America South America

AfricaSouth-east Asia

non-tropical areas such as USA

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The Banana Plant

Rubber Tree

Reaching around 40m, the rubber tree produces milky-white sap called latex which is actually used to make rubber!

Where: Amazon region of South America

BrazilVenezuelaEcuadorColombia

PeruBolivia

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Rubber Tree

Heliconia

This colourful plant has 40 different species. It is also known as ‘lobster claws’ or ‘parrot flowers’.

Heliconia

The claw shapes are actually ‘bract’ which are leaves that protect the flower

inside so only specific birds, such as humming birds, can get to them

Where:The Neotropics

Southern MexicoCentral America South America

West Indies.

Heliconia

Orchids

The largest family of plants in the world. They come in every colour except black.

They can grow to over 4m long!

Orchids

. Where:Most climates

Central AmericaSouth America

Countries along the Andes Mountains.

BromeliadBromeliads contain more than 2,700 species that grow on the

ground, on rocks and on other plants.

Bromeliad

However, you may recognise the spikey leaves as being the plant of the pineapple.

Bromeliad

Where:The Neotropics

Southern MexicoCentral AmericaSouth America

West IndiesWestern Africa

CacaoThe evergreen cacao tree grows pods containing 20 to 60 reddish-brown

cocoa beans.

Photo courtesy of amsfrank (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

Cacao

It takes from 7 to 14 pods to make one pound of dry cocoa beans, which is turned

into chocolate.

It’s important for cacao to be harvested sustainably due to the worldwide popularity of chocolate.

Cacao

Where:Below altitudes of 300m.Areas that receive about 10cm of rain per month.

Amazon River basin.Southern Mexico

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Poinsettia

The poinsettia comes in red, white, pink and two colours. The coloured part looks like petals but they are in fact leaves.

They are rumoured to be poisonous but they aren’t, which is good, as they are a popular Christmas plant in the UK.

Poinsettia

Where:Mexico

Central America .

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Brazil Nut TreeThe brazil nut tree towers over its neighbours as it can reach 50m high. The

nut is made inside the fruit the size of a tennis ball.

Photo courtesy of mauroguanandi (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

The outside layer of the fruit is so hard only the agoutis, a large rodent with sharp teeth, can break it open.

Brazil Nut Tree

Where:Amazon Rainforest(Brazil, Colombia,

Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru).

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Sapodilla

The kiwi-shaped fruit has a yellow inside that tastes like a pear. It is considered to be the best fruit in Central America. The rainforest

mammals, such as howler monkeys, eat it a lot.

Sapodilla

The bark contains a white, gummy sap called chicle. This was used by the Mayans and Aztecs to create the first chewing gum

Sapodilla

Where:Southern Mexico

North-eastern GuatemalaBelize

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CoffeeThe coffee plant is a shrub that can grow to over 9m. Each berry has 2 beans

inside. They start off green until they are roasted. Coffee plants can live for 100 years!

Photo courtesy of by amsfrank (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

Coffee

Where:High altitudes

Shade with a wet and dry season.

Originated in Ethiopia Latin America

Sudan

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Strelitzia -

Named after the bird of paradise because of their outstanding beauty, they are prized for their ornamental uses. Their boat-shaped ‘bract’ (leaf that protect

flowers) holds around 5 brightly coloured flowers.

Where:South Africa

South America

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Strelitzia - Bird of Paradise Flower